Andrew Mdzumira

Malawi National Woman Football team Under-20 head coach Maggie Chombo has commended her players for their commitment and fighting spirit following a 3-1 victory over the Central African Republic in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

The match was held on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

“I told the girls it would be a tough match full of pressure because we were playing at home and needed to score quickly–and did just that,” said Chombo.

She said the red card which her side received disrupted them, saying her girls stayed focused and did not concede another goal.

Malawi took an early lead in the first half with two goals from Fatima Lali and another from Olivia Phikani, ending the half 3-0.

The Central African Republic scored a consolation goal through Syliviane Passib in the second half.

The win puts Malawi in a strong position as they head to Cameroon for the next leg of the qualifiers. The team will also face the Central African Republic again in a return leg match scheduled for May 18 in Bangui.

Scorchers U-17 Team advances to COSAFA Semis

Meanwhile, Malawi’s U-17 women’s football team continued its impressive run at the 2025 COSAFA U-17 Championship, currently underway in Namibia.

The young Scorchers have reached the semi-finals for the first time in the tournament’s history after winning both group-stage matches convincingly.

On May 10, Malawi defeated host nation Namibia 3-0, followed by a 6-0 thrashing of Comoros on May 12.

Coach Chisomo Nkhoma expressed pride in his players’ performance.

“I instructed the girls on how to approach the matches, and they executed the plan excellently. We still have a big task ahead, and our goal is to reach the final,” said Nkhoma.

Faluma Umali netted a hat-trick, Alinafe Nyirenda added two goals, and Cicilia Mzima contributed one in the dominant victory over Comoros.